The Growth of the Latin Mass

On Oct. 16, 2016, Mass is held for the first time at St. Joseph Oratory in Detroit as a parish dedicated exclusively to the extraordinary form

That which embraces beauty and is rooted in God will stand the test of time and will not be suppressed. Like classical art, music, and literature, the classical [extraordinary] form of the Roman Rite has stood the test of time. And, despite the attempts by some to (feverishly) suppress it for a liturgy and aesthetic that better “reflect the times” (read: cryogenically frozen in the 1970’s), the traditional Missae which was beloved by virtually all the saints is making a powerful comeback!

The graph below is from the best numbers available (or that I could find) to see how the TLM has grown in America since 1988 when St. John Paul II declared the form was indeed available to those whose bishops approved it. 2009 marks the year Pope Benedict XVI issued Summorum Pontificum, saying that any priest, regardless of approval from their bishop, may say the traditional form of the Mass.

The numbers I used are gathered from a few sites which carry statistics. Ecclesia Dei was especially helpful in compiling the numbers for 2016. Keep in mind that these numbers cannot be considered “official” but are simply to serve as a metric to show growth. Wow!

Make sure to SUPPORT your local TLM…dioceses notice where the money is being raised! ☩

Immediately after the Second Vatican Council it was presumed that requests for the use of the 1962 Missal would be limited to the older generation which had grown up with it, but in the meantime it has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them.
–Summorum Pontificum